Congress Thursday headed home, and isn't due back until mid-November. It left without acting on the Bush tax cuts, cuts that expire Dec. 31.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been defending the decision to put off consideration utnil after the November election. House of Representatives moderates have signaled they want all the cuts extended, at least for awhile. Pelosi, with White House support, only wants to extend those affecting individuals earning less than $200,000 and joint filers making less than $250,000.

At a Capitol Hill news conference, and again in an interview with PBS, she explained the decision to wait:

"It's a decision because the fact is our President got out there and talked about giving a tax cut to all Americans, but he does not agree that we should give an extra bonus to people making over $250,000 a year.  They too will get a tax cut under President Obama's plan.  We support that.

"Our members are fully prepared to go home and talk about what they support and it doesn't require a vote to take a position in it.  So we feel we are very confident about the decisions that we have made, about the priorities in legislation that we had passed, health care reform for all Americans, improving quality, expanding coverage, lowering costs, Wall Street reform, the list goes on.

"Members are going home to talk about that but also to talk about the future, what is the choice, and one of those choices is, do we give a tax cut to everyone which creates jobs or do we give a tax cut, a bonus to the upper income which will only add to the deficit?  We're not going to do that."

Are the Democrats fighting back? Could they limit their losses and keep control of the House after all?
 
The White House thinks so. After President Barack Obama’s three-day swing through battleground states this week, aides pointed to big crowds and an uptick in recent polling as signs that it might not be as bad for the Democrats as pundits have predicted.

“Certainly the public polling suggests that Democrats are doing better in recent days than they have been recently,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Alfred G. Cuzan, a political scientist at the University of West Florida, thinks so. He wrote this week that his analysis of historical trends and elections models suggests the odds favor the Democrats losing fewer than 39 seats – and thus keeping majority control.

And Rep. James Clyburn, R-SC., his party’s number three man in the House leadership, thinks things are getting better – or maybe less bad – for his party.

""I've been out there every weekend for the last three or four weeks," he told MSNBC. "And I can tell you, I was in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware on this past Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and people are upbeat."

Not everyone is convinced.

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, on Thursday repeats his forecast that the Democrats will lose 47 House seats in November. He also maintained his forecast that the Democrats will lose of 7-8 Senate seats, and 8 governorships.

"In the summer, a lot of people went too far, predicting Republican gains of 60 seats," he said. "Now a lot of people are saying it's right on the bubble, that the Democrats are going to retain control. Has the economy gotten better? No. Have Obama's numbers improved? No."

Also, while some are looking at a Democratic gain in party preference as measured in the Gallup Poll, a deeper look reveals that the Republicans still have an edge.

The Gallup Poll shows Americans evenly divided, 46-46, when asked whether they’ll vote for a Democrat or Republican for Congress.

That is a big shift from August, when they leaned toward the Republicans by a margin of 51-41 percent.

"The generic ballot among registered voters so far this year has shown four phases in the election campaign," Gallup said. "The two parties were roughly tied from March through June, Democrats did better in July, Republicans had a strong month in August, and in September the two parties have returned to parity."

Still, voters are more enthusiastic about voting for Republicans, with 48 percent of those planning to vote for a Republican excited about it, and just 28 percent of those intending to vote for a Democrat excited about it.

That “enthusiasm gap” suggests that, even while voters overall may be evenly divided in their sentiment, Republican voters are more likely to turn out on Nov. 2.

"Turnout is crucial in midterm elections," said Gallup. "With at least 80% of Americans registered to vote but only about half that number likely to vote in the midterm elections, registered voter and actual voter preferences can differ significantly."

Rep. Michael Castle, upset earlier this month by conservative commentator Christine O'Donnell for the Delaware Republican U.S. Senate nomination, said late Wednesday he won't run as a write-in candidate.

Castle, a veteran moderate who has served the state as governor, lieutenant governor and congressman, was seen as having a good chance of defeating Democratic nominee Chris Coons. The seat is now held by Sen. Ted Kaufman, a Democrat and former top aide to Vice President Joe Biden, who held the seat for 36 years before leaving in January 2009.

Coons is now far ahead of O'Donnell in most polls, but Castle declined to make it a three-way race. Here's the statement he issued a few minutes ago:

"Since the outcome of the Republican primary election for the United States Senate, many Delawareans have encouraged me to pursue the Senate seat as a write-in candidate for the general election in November.  I understand why people care so deeply about this election; I listened closely to many viewpoints and carefully considered the option of staying in the race. 

"Jane and I have been humbled by the strong encouragement from so many friends, colleagues and supporters to undertake this effort. While I would have been honored to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate, I do not believe that seeking office in this manner is in the best interest of all Delawareans.  Therefore, it's time for Jane and me to begin thinking about the next chapter of our lives. 

"Much of my life has been dedicated to representing Delawareans and it has been my privilege and great honor to serve you and represent our state in the legislature, as Lt. Governor, Governor and in the United States House of Representatives.  
   
"Delaware is a close community of people who find practical solutions to the complex challenges we face.  That characteristic is something that makes our State a very special place to live.  I look forward to continuing to serve our State as your Congressman in the remaining months of my term in a principled manner; Delawareans deserve no less. "

An order from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today says political appointees and other Interior employees can't rewrite scientific findings.

The new policy says Interior employees can't suppress scientific findings or coerce scientists to change their reports. The order also promises protection for those who blow the whistle on anyone who breaks these rules and tampers with science.

And it says that the Department of Interior will make the scientific studies it uses for decision-making available to the public.

A news release quotes Salazar as saying: "The American people must have confidence that the Department of Interior is basing its decisions on the best available science and that the scientific process is free of misconduct or improper influence."

Salazar's order on scientific integrity is in line with what President Barack Obama called for in a presidential memorandum on March 9, 2009. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is in charge of drawing up guidance for all agencies, but has missed its deadline by more than a year.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus submitted his Gulf Coast restoration plan to President Obama today.

It recommends that Congress dedicate a significant amount of the penalties from the BP oil spill to a Gulf Coast Recovery Fund for long-term recovery and restoration.

It also recommends that Congress authorize a Gulf Coast Recovery Council made up of representatives from the gulf states and tribes.

The Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release that the president has decided to follow the recommendations.

The EPA said Obabma will sign an executive order to establish a task force that can take charge of Gulf Coast restoration until Congress acts to approve the council. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will be the task force chairwoman.

The EPA release says the Mabus report also “recommends continued support for individuals, families, and businesses to help them navigate the claims process, and to give assistance to communities to identify additional needs. It urges a media campaign - paid for by the oil spill’s responsible parties - to help restore public confidence in the seafood industry and promote tourism in the area. The report examines ways that the gulf can take advantage of opportunities in emerging industries. The report also identifies critical needs for health and human services across the region and recommends continued engagement with the nonprofit sector.”

Mabus, a former governor of Mississippi, says in the report: "For the past several months, at the President's direction, I have examined the question of what comes next. What can our country do to make good on our commitment to the region? This report is the result of that examination. It is the result of many trips to the Gulf Coast and meetings and conversations with fishermen; health officials; environmental workers; nonprofits and local leaders; scientists; members of the business community; elected officials; and thousands of Gulf Coast residents who expressed their opinions in meetings and town halls across all five states that touch the Gulf.

The Obama administration on Thursday will release a proposal for new fuel standards for vehicles in 2017-25.

Environmental and consumer groups are asking the administration to set the 2025 standard at a fleet-wide average of 60 mpg. That’s up from the 35.5 mpg standard set this year for 2016.

The Consumer Federation of America argues that 60 mpg is technically feasible, consumer-friendly and a way to reduce dependence on oil. It posted a new survey today that found 59 percent agreed to a federal requirement for a 60 mpg standard, and 37 percent opposed it.

President Obama called for the 2017-2025 standards in a memorandum in May. He didn’t suggest any specific targets then. The memorandum instead said the plan for higher gas mileage should make “substantial annual progress in reducing transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption” and should do that through increased domestic production.

Environmental groups also asked the president for a 35 percent reduction in fuel consumption for long-haul trucks. They wrote in a letter to him earlier this month that the tougher fuel standards for cars and trucks would save 49 billion gallons of fuel and 535 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon pollution.

Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said automakers hadn't even reached the 2016 goal yet. "Clearly we live in a period of extreme political volatility, and some groups are promoting their political wish list prior to the elections. Instead of plucking numbers out of the air, we should base policy on science and expert reviews of all the factors, like affordability of technology, availability of low-carbon fuels and the state of the electric infrastructure.”

Asked at an event in New Mexico why he's a Christian, President Barack Obama Tuesday said he chose the religion himself because he was inspired by the message and example of Jesus Christ.

"I’m a Christian by choice," Obama said when asked by a woman in Albuquerque.

"My family didn’t, frankly, they weren’t folks who went to church every week.  And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn’t raise me in the church.

"So I came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead -- being my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me.

"And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we’re sinful and we’re flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God.  But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace. 

"And so that’s what I strive to do.  That’s what I pray to do every day.  I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith.  And it’s -- but the one thing I want to emphasize, having spoken about something that obviously relates to me very personally, as President of the United States, I’m also somebody who deeply believes that the -- part of the bedrock strength of this company is that it embraces people of many faiths and of no faith -- that this is a country that is still predominantly Christian.  But we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and that their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own.  And that’s part of what makes this country what it is. "

Some good and bad news for embattled congressional incumbents: People think more highly of them than of Congress--but not that highly.

Those are the findings of a new Pew Research Center/National Journal poll released Monday night.56 percent said their representative had done only a fair or poor job, while 28 percent gave them good ratings. But that's an improvement over attitudes towards Congress as a whole, where the good/excellent rating was 13 percent.

Some other decent news for incumbents: 48 percent said their representative had good judgment. Bad news: 43 percent said the congressman is in touch with the people in his district.

President Barack Obama gets slightly higher marks--half said he had done a better job explaining his vision for the nation; 28 percent said Republican leaders did better. The poll was taken Sept. 23-26, as House of Representatives Republican leaders were unveiling their governing agenda.

The poll was conducted among 1,010 adults. Margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

To read the survey: http://people-press.org/report/659/

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Looks like prospects for a vote before the November elections on extending the Bush tax cuts dimmed Sunday, as Republicans dug in on their insistence all cuts be considered, while a top White House adviser insisted only middle class breaks survive.

Hopes for a vote before Nov. 2 have gone up and down recently. Thursday night, Senate Democrats all but ruled one out, saying they couldn't secure the support of enough Republicans to win backing for extending only middle class cuts (though some moderate Democrats also were leery, saying they wanted all cuts extended)

Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opened the door a crack, refusing to rule out a possible vote this week.

Sunday, the debate over timing continued.

Among Republicans, House GOP Leader John Boehner told "Fox News Sunday" called on Pelosi to have a "fair and open debate." If not, he said, "she should not count on our votes." Boehner and most if not all Republicans want all the cuts extended.

"If the speaker will allow a fair and open debate," he said, "I am confident that there is a bipartisan majority in the Congress today to extend all of the current tax rates."

But that doesn't seem likely to happen before the election. On ABC's "This Week," Obama senior adviser David Axelrod accused the GOP of wanting to "hold those middle class tax rates hostage until we...agree to that and that's something we can't do."

Democrats, he suggested, will have the political advantage because of their stand. "I believe when these Republican members return to their districts," Axelrod said, "they're going to have to explain to their constituents why they're holding up tax cuts for the middle class."

Congressional leaders are hoping to wrap up their pre-election session at the end of this week.

The Environmental Protection Agency today announced a draft of a "pollution diet" for the Chesapeake Bay, North America's largest estuary.

The EPA was under a court order to put limits on the amount of nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollution that can be discharged into the bay and its tributaries from sewer treatment plants, large animal farms and storm water systems.

Governments have tried and failed to clean up the Bay since the early 1980s. The new limits _ what the EPA calls a Total Maximum Daily Load _ reflect what scientific studies say will be necessary to restore health to the watershed. The limits are to be phased in by 2025.

The next step is a 45-day public comment period and time for revisions to be made on the plan before the final one is released on Nov. 29. Eighteen public hearings are planned in all six states that are part of the watershed _ Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and West Virginia. The draft plan and information about the hearings is here.